微笑 wēixiào smile
smile; to smile
How to remember 微笑: 微 small + 笑 laugh = smile.
Characters
How it is used
- A (gentle, closed) smile - 她对我微笑 (tā duì wǒ wēixiào) she smiled at me. Both verb and noun.
- 微 = slight, so it's a soft smile, quieter than 笑 (xiào, to laugh/smile) or 大笑 (laugh out loud). You 微笑 silently; you don't 微笑 at a joke's punchline.
- Common in written/warm descriptions; 微笑着说 (smilingly said).
Example sentences
- 不要微笑。 Búyào wēixiào.Don't smile.
- 保持微笑。 Bǎochí wēixiào.Keep smiling.
- 我不喜欢你的微笑。 Wǒ bù xǐhuān nǐ de wēixiào.I don't like your smile.